Update on Karim

I recently visited Lebanon to see in person how Karim is doing. I was pleasantly surprised to see that physically his disease is receding slowly. His feet were still about the same, although he walks all the time on them, painfully, but, still walking. He seemed upbeat, in spite of not attending school to date. His tutor still sees him once a week, although she has secured a full-time job in Beirut and is not able to see him as often as she did previously. She is a lovely young woman who is truly interested in Karim's progress. She is currently looking into getting him into a school there. If this happens, I will have to do some more fundraising.

Lebanon was again beautiful and the people very welcoming and hospitable. I reacquainted myself with my old friends and made some new friends. The Maronite people made me part of their family. I felt comfortable and at home once again. I stayed with a young family with a two-year-old girl who plays regularly with Karim, and a three-month-old baby boy. They were very good to me. I thank them for their hospitality and kindness.

I found that still no one is bringing Karim to the Mass. The family mentioned again that they want visitors from the parish for their son and they want him to go to the Mass with someone from the parish, but no one comes to bring him. This broke my heart to know that Karim has been denied the Mass and holy communion since earlier this year when the man who was bringing him moved to another country. I cried because of this terrible truth.

While I was in Lebanon, my friend and I brought Karim to see a priest in Beirut. This priest said Mass for us and heard Karim's confession. No priest had heard his confession since he had been in America a year before. I asked this priest to give him the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, which he also did very lovingly. So because of the goodness of one priest, Karim received three sacraments all in one day. Please pray for this priest. When I thanked this priest, he replied, "No need to thank me. I am a priest. This is what I do for God. I love being a priest."

Please pray every day for all our priests. They are under attack by Satan all the time. I offer my sufferings for priests, especially those that are under attack. We can offer our sufferings right on the cross with Jesus for the souls of priests. Sometimes they do not realize that they are under attack. This is when Satan wins.